On the Surface
by SkywardLinks
Summary: Rebuilding a thousand year-old civilization can be tough.  Having the right company helps, though.  ZeLink
1. A New Start

I don't own anything

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Chapter One – A New Start

Link watched as his Loftwing flew away with Zelda's. It was the end of his days in the clouds, but the beginning of a new life. He looked down to see he was holding Zelda's hand. Facing her, he grabbed her other hand in his and gazed into her beautiful blue eyes.

He could hardly believe she was here, standing in front of him. But her soft hands felt so real, and her eyes held the same love and depth he had always known. It really was Zelda, his best friend.

Zelda stared right back into his eyes, a small smile coming to her face. She finally broke the silence. "It's really over, isn't it?"

Link nodded. "It's hard to believe it's real. I can't believe you're actually here."

Zelda's eyes glistened with moisture, and they embraced one another. If there was any doubt of her reality before, the feeling of Zelda in his arms dispelled it immediately. It felt so right to hold her close.

When they finally split, they looked around them. For the first time, Link actually took a moment to think about where he was. Sure, he had known he was on the surface, but a certain someone had occupied his mind so overwhelmingly that he hadn't acknowledged the beauty of the surface.

Link sighed as he thought of the massive undertaking they had before them. A little break would be nice, but he wouldn't leave Zelda in a thousand years. Besides, after all he had been through, he was sure he would grow restless within a few days with nothing to do. However, building a colony on the surface wouldn't be easy.

"How do we even start," asked Link, looking all around him.

Zelda laughed. "I suppose we just start! My guess is that as word spreads above that the surface is habitable, adventurers like yourself will venture on down here and bring their skills and trades."

Zelda paused for a moment before continuing. "Until then, it will have to be us. But that's fine," she laughed lightly. "I have a little experience creating."

It took a moment before Link realized what she meant. Then it all came back to him again. Holding her and looking into her eyes, she had been Zelda, his best friend. He had forgotten that she was also the goddess Hylia, and suddenly Link felt unworthy to be holding her hand and laughing and joking with her.

Link released Zelda's hand quickly. When she looked up at him questioningly, he said something about making camp so they could be have a place to stay while they built a colony. He started walking off.

"We can just stay in the statue of the goddess until we build some homes," Zelda called after him.

That did not help Link. _Your statue. Built hundreds of years ago. But it's a statue of you._

Not looking back, Link called out, "I'll go fishing then…get some food."

Link needed time to think, and fishing was the perfect thing to do. Walking until he reached Lake Floria, Link couldn't think straight. As soon as he cast the line into the lake, though, he was able to organize some of his thoughts.

He knew it was Zelda. She was still there. After all, that's who he saw when he looked in her eyes. When he held her hands. When he hugged her close to him.

But she was so much more, now.

_So am I_, thought Link as he jerked the fishing rod, successfully hooking a fish, and reeling it in.

It was true, while Zelda was the goddess Hylia in mortal flesh, Link was her chosen hero. He wielded the power of the Triforce, the power from above. He was able to do what Hylia couldn't do alone. Together, they had destroyed Demise.

_Together._

Link fished for many more hours, all the while sorting out his thoughts and feelings. When he finally returned to the Sealed Temple at dusk, carrying over a dozen fish, he found Zelda sitting by a fire. He stopped a distance away, to watch her. She gazed into the flames, lost in thought. He must have looked the same just minutes earlier.

He was still very uneasy about the revelation, but he had come to a conclusion that he shouldn't let it affect his relationship with Zelda as long as she didn't let it affect their relationship.

As he approached the fire, he noticed Zelda had already been hard at work, having created makeshift tables and chairs, tools and utensils, and bedding (which he assumed she collected from Impa's quarters) for their immediate use over the next few days until they got a better handle on the situation.

She looked up at Link with searching and hopeful eyes. Clearly she knew something had caused Link to be upset. He flashed her a comforting smile, which he didn't have to force. In fact, looking down at her, his concerns seemed to melt away. He knew they would not be as they were; how could they? But he also felt a confidence in their future.

He sat down on the log which she had rolled near the fire. Their back was to the statue, which Link thought was likely on purpose. Not only did Zelda not want to remind him that she was Hylia, she probably didn't want to spend the evening staring at a statue dedicated to her.

Link sat right up next to Zelda, and put an arm around her. The evening was beginning to grow cold, and Zelda leaned into Link as much as she could. Her head came to rest on his shoulder. He squeezed her tightly and kissed the top of her hair gently.

For hours they sat together, eating, talking about their adventure, and fueling the fire. When it was time to retire, Zelda led him to the Sealed Temple, instead of the statue. She commented that it would be easier to use Impa's living space (which Link had never noticed before) while they build homes for themselves. Link demanded that Zelda take the bed; after all, he was used to sleeping on the ground and the extra quilts were already such an improvement from what he had used for the past months that he felt spoiled.

Before Link left Zelda's room for his own, he sat down on Zelda's bed next to her.

Staring at his hands, Link spoke softly. "I'd be lying if I said things haven't changed, Zelda."

He felt her move to speak, so he cut her off before she had the chance. "But I don't think that's such a bad thing." He looked up to see her confused eyes.

"You and I have both grown. But even though we've been apart, I feel we've grown closer."

He reached up and cradled her head in his hand, gently rubbing her cheek with his thumb. "You were my best friend in the world. And you always will be. But now…now, I hope that that can grow, too."

Zelda smiled, and her eyes darted quickly from Link's eyes to his lips and back again. That was all the sign Link needed to use his new-found courage. He slowly leaned forward and pressed his lips lightly against hers.


	2. Bringing Order

Thanks for the great reviews. I hope that you enjoy this chapter. My plans for this story involved a short and sweet conclusion to the wonderful story told to us in Skyward Sword. You can expect a couple more chapters in the next couple weeks to wrap up Link, Zelda, and Hyrule's futures.

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Chapter 2 – Bringing Order

Link awoke, a sickening feeling spreading through his stomach as he remembered the previous night's happenings. The feeling of emptiness only grew the more he thought about it. He needed to talk to Zelda.

Link rolled out of his bed, walked to the sink and splashed water on his face. His left hand ached, and he wondered if he had sprained his wrist the night before. Looking up in the mirror, Link saw that in addition to feeling sick, he didn't look great, either.

_I can't do this. I'm not good enough. I don't have the experience… or ability…or anything!_

It had been two years since the destruction of Demise. Two wonderful years since Link had first kissed Zelda. A month had passed in bliss, as Link fell even more in love and overcame any obstacles blocking his happiness with Zelda. They spent every waking hour together, building a pair of simple homes right next to each other. They traveled the land that Link had gotten to know so well, and some places he had never before seen.

They enlisted help from all of the grateful friends Link had made to assist in creating a home for the Hylians who might wish to return to the surface. And it was good they had help, because they never expected the amount of people who came.

Zelda had said that it was only natural for their fellow Hylians to return from the skies. He remembered it like it was yesterday:

"_They are just coming home," she said._

Link had been happy to welcome them to the surface. Until his twentieth birthday the night before, that is. It had not gone as he had expected.

_Link finished the delicious cake Zelda made him for his birthday and smiled gratefully at her. He reached across the table and squeezed her hand gently. This was going to be the night. He opened his mouth to speak, but the door burst open and Link felt himself being blindfolded and bound._

Link finished his preparations for the day and left his home. He walked a short distance to the cottage next door and knocked. As he waited for an answer, Link gazed around and admired the town they had built.

A community had sprung up around them. Over a hundred men and women from above—from both Skyloft, and the hundreds of island colonies Hylians had populated from hundreds of years in the skies—had come to join Link and Zelda. They had simply called their home "The Town," which Link found simple and comfortable. However, he was anything but comfortable about The Town now.

The door swung open in front of him, and one look at Zelda's brilliant smile nearly took all of his worries away. Unfortunately, her smile faded almost instantly—likely because she saw the panic in Link's own face.

"Link," Zelda said, bringing her hand up to Link's face. "What's wrong? Come in!"

Link leaned into her touch and entered her home. His unease was already made light just by being near her. She sat him down on her couch and then took a seat right next to him, holding his hand.

_Panic immediately seized Link as terrible images of this group of men hurting Zelda filled his mind. He began to fight back, and even blindfolded and half-bound, he was doing quite well. Then he heard Zelda begin to laugh, and he heard Fledge's voice. After a moment of confusion, Link realized what was happening, and relaxed, letting the men take him away. This would put a damper on his plans._

After Zelda gently squeezed his hand, Link explained. "So, after your incredible birthday dinner last night, you know that some of the guys came to take me out for a big party, right?"

Zelda nodded. "It was my idea," she offered.

Link had figured as much. He had wanted to spend the whole night with Zelda, but they had told him that it was Zelda's plan that they take him out to have a fun night with the guys. So he'd just move his plans to another day, he'd thought. No problem.

"Right…well, we were having a good time, and a fight broke out." Link had been one of the few men who weren't drunk at the time, so it wasn't all that surprising. He recalled it vividly.

_Link was enjoying himself, spending some rare time with some guys at the tavern. Fledge, who had moved to the surface, was a great friend to Link. He had organized a nice party for Link at Zelda's request. Groose had flown down from Skyloft, among others. Link was pleasantly surprised to find he was having a good time._

_Link had never liked alcohol. After his time battling monsters in life-threatening fights and needing to be in peak physical condition to do so, he never wanted to give up any focus or ability to a vice. However, that didn't mean he didn't like being around other people drinking alcohol. It was quite entertaining at times._

_A man Link knew as Hobbes and another man Link didn't know all that well began arguing at the bar. They weren't a part of the party, but Link had a feeling they soon would be. Sure enough, the argument grew louder and Link found the men soon standing and shouting in the middle of the tavern._

"_Easy," Link said, as he walked between the two of them. "Let's just calm down. What's the problem?"_

_Hobbes spoke up, in a slightly slurred and very loud voice. "Fergo here stole my property and is building an ugly barn on it!"_

_The man named Fergo made a threatening move towards Hobbes. "Stole…It's my property, and I have a right to build what I want. My cuckoos need a place to live!"_

_Link would laugh at the situation if tempers weren't so high._

Zelda's eyes asked him to continue. "It was something stupid, over who owned what property, or something like that. I stopped the fight of course, and convinced the men to go home and sleep, that we would solve the problem in the morning when they had sobered up."

"_I'll give your cuckoos a place to live!" Hobbes shouted and ran at Fergo. Link didn't have time to tell him that his comment made no sense, given the context, but instead turned and grabbed Hobbes. Link, while smaller than Hobbes, was stronger. It also helped that Hobbes didn't have the best balance at the time, and soon Hobbes was wrestled to the ground._

_His act of aggression caused Fergo to attack, however, and soon Link was being shoved out of the way, and Fergo threw a punch at Hobbes. Link jumped back into the fray and pulled Fergo off of Hobbes. He dodged a fist coming from his right and undercut Fergo in the stomach, sending him to the ground, wheezing. _

_Hobbes had gotten up at this point, and apparently angry at Link for taking on his enemy, decided to strike at Link. Link held up his left hand to deflect the blow. Though he succeeded in protecting his face and sending Hobbes spinning with his momentum, Link's left wrist howled in pain. Link clasped his hands together and swung them down, striking Hobbes in the kidney. Hobbes fell to the floor also._

_Panting slightly, and rubbing his wrist, Link stared at the two offenders. "Now I want the two of you to go home tonight, get some sleep, and come see me tomorrow with whatever evidence you have of property ownership, and we'll sort this out sober. Alright?"_

_Hobbes and Fergo nodded their heads as men helped them to their feet and out the door. Link sighed and turned to a stunned crowd._

Zelda looked confused. "So what are you so worked up about?"

Link sighed. "Well, after the fight…the guys brought up some issues they had. Apparently, little things like this keep happening all over The Town, now. And because we have no form of government and The Town is getting bigger, it's getting harder and harder to work these problems out civilly."

Zelda thought for a moment. "So what was their point?"

Link sighed. "They say they have a solution."

"_We want you to be mayor, Link!"_

_What?_

"_Yea! Link would be a great leader for the town."_

"_We'll gather The Town tomorrow and vote him in. He'll win for sure!"_

Zelda smiled. "Link, you'd make a wonderful mayor!"

Link felt his mouth drop in horror and shock. "Not you, too! I can't do this. I don't know the first thing…"

Zelda looked at Link impatiently and interrupted. "Look how you handled the situation last night. You did great."

"Then make me a captain of the guard, or something," Link argued. "I don't know the first thing about running a town."

Zelda squeezed Link's hand. "Oh sure you do. You started this town with your own hands."

"But I had your help," Link pointed out.

Zelda looked into Link's eyes. As Link gazed back into hers, he saw love and pure truth. "And you always will," she replied.

Silence pervaded the room as the intent of Zelda's reply sank in to Link's heart. He smiled, and the anxiety left him again. Link knew the solution to all of his problems. Zelda.

"Zelda…" Link began. "Last night I was going to talk to you about…well…"

Link was saying everything all wrong from how he had planned, but he knew it was right, anyways.

"…The truth is, Zelda, I can't do this without you. Not just leading a town, though I'd need plenty of help with that, too. But I can't be happy without you. I can't eat or sleep if I don't know that you're here and happy. I can't live without you."

Zelda's face was beaming. She made no attempt to stop him, so Link continued on.

"I love you, Zelda. And I don't want to spend another day without you." Heart pounding, but somehow more at ease than he'd ever felt, Link asked, "Will you marry me?"

Her answer was yes.


End file.
